Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-11-05
IN FEAR OF IMMINENT DEATH.


A Great Russian Novciist's Description Of .
Dying Mans Thoughts
IExchangs.1
Count Leo Tolstol in "Sebastopol"
thus describes the fall of shell: aTo
earth!" shouted q voice. Mikhailoff
and Praskoukine obeyed. The latter,
with shut eyes, heard the shell fall
| somewhere on the hard earth very near
him. A second, which appears to him
an hour, passed, and the shell did not
burst Praskoukine was frightened,
then he asked himself what cause he
had for fear. Perhaps it had fallen
farther away and he wrongly imagined
that he heard the fuse Kissing near him.
Opening his eyes he was satisfied to see
Mlkhailof stretched motionless at his
feet, but at the same time he perceived,
a yard off, the lighted fuse of the shell
spinning around like top. A glacial
terror, which stifed every thought,
every sentiment, took possession of his
soul. He hid his face in his hands.
Another second passed, during which q
whole world of thoughts. of hopes, of
sensations and of souvenirs passed
through his mind. "Whom will it kill
Me or Mikhailoff, or indeed both of us
together? If it is I, where will it hit
me? If in the head it will be all over
if on the foot they will cut it off. Then
| shall insist that they give me chloro-
form and l may get we'll Perhaps
Mikhailof alone will be killed and later
will tell how we were close together
and how was covered with his blood.
No, no; it is nearer me; it will be T."
Then he remembered the twelve rubles
he owed Mikhailoff and another debt
left at Petersburg, which ought to have
been paid long ago. A Bohemian air
that he sang the evening before came
to his mind. He also saw in his imagi-
nation the lady he was in love with in
her lilac trimmed bonnet; the man who
had insulted him five years before, and
whom he had never taken vengeance
on. But in the midst of these and
many other souvenirs the present feel
ing--the expectation of death-did not
leave him. Perhaps it isn't going to
exploded" he thought, and was on the
point of opening his eyes with desperate
boldness. But at this instant red fire
struck his eyeballs through the closed
lids, something hit him in the middle
of the chest with terrible crash. He
ran forward at random, entangled his
feet in his sword, stumbled, and fell on
his side. "God be praised, am only
bruised" This was his first thought,
and he wanted to feel of his breast, but
his hands seemed as if they were tied
A wise gripped his head, soldiers ran
before his eyes, and he mechanically
counted them: Zone, two, three
soldiers, ald, besides. an officer who is
losing his cloak!" Ahewlight flashed;
he wondered what had fired. Was it
mortar or a cannon? Doubtless can
non. Another shot, more soldiers
five, six, seven. They passed in front
of him, and suddenly he became ter
ribly afraid Of being crushed by them.
He wanted to cry out, to say that he
was bruised, but his lips we're dry, his |
tongue was glued to the roof of his |
mouth. He had a burning thirst. He |
felt that his breast was damp, and the
sensation of this moisture made him
think of water. He would have liked |
to drink that which drenched him. Il
must have knocked the skin off in fall
ing," he said to himself, more and more
frightened at the idea of being crushed
by the soldiers who were running in
crowds before him. He tried again to
cry out "Take mel" but instead of that |
he uttered groan so terrible that he |
was frightened at it himself. Then red
sparks danced before his eyes-it |
seemed as if the soldiers were piling
stones on him. The sparks danced
more rapidly, the stones piled on him
stifed him more and more. He stretched
himself out; he ceased to see, to hear,
to think, to feel. He had been killed
by piece of shell striking
him full in the breast.